Shaun White to skip Winter X Games

The two-time Olympic halfpipe gold medalist said Sunday he plans to skip next weekend's Winter X Games to rest up for his trip to Russia next month.

The 27-year-old is on both the U.S. halfpipe and slopestyle Olympic teams to bolster his quest to become the first American male to win gold in three straight Olympics.

White won Sunday's final halfpipe qualifier, putting an end to a busy week. He crashed badly during slopestyle practice Thursday but recovered to win the event later that night. He then followed it up by winning a pair of halfpipe qualifiers to guarantee a spot on the U.S. team.